


Glimpses

by tachishini



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Character Death, F/M, M/M, Noncanonical Character Death, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-26
Updated: 2012-07-26
Packaged: 2017-11-10 19:36:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/469898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tachishini/pseuds/tachishini
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Going back to the living world was just too hard. He risked seeing those he'd lost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Glimpses

**Author's Note:**

> Strike through text is test that was originally blotted out on DW and LJ but I can't seem to do that here.
> 
> Beta: live-with-love  
> Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine  
> Pairings/Characters: Ichigo-centric, implied Ishida/Orihime and implied Byakuya/Renji ~~sort of~~  
>  Spoilers: After chapter 502 and ~~assuming that Byakuya died in chapter 502~~  
>  Author's notes: AU set 20 years after chapter 502

The war with the Quincy had been a long, hard slog and they’d lost many people. Most of the Gotei had had an entire upheaval. It had taken a lot of getting used to the new captains and lieutenants. 

Sixth division no longer had much to do with the Kuchikis. As Ichigo understood it Byakuya had some cousins and one of them had taken over but none of them had undergone shinigami training. The nobles didn’t seem to have much interest in the Gotei anymore, anyway. 

 

But this was what he hated most – the glimpses. Ichigo spent most of his time in Soul Society now, he practically lived there, because he couldn’t bare to see them in the living world.

He’d only popped round to the local combini for some food – he still couldn’t stomach Inoue’s, even if Ishida insisted she’d gotten better – when he saw them. 

Ichigo had just been browsing the left over bento when he heard a yell further up the store; “Nii-sama! I got the soy sauce.” Ichigo smiled a little to himself, remembering back to the shopping trips he’d used to go on with Yuzu and Karin, keeping them entertained by giving them things to find.

“Go take it to Kiyoji, he’s got the basket, remember?” Ichigo’s brow furrowed, that voice was quite familiar, though there was something not quite right about it. He ignored it again and picked up some sushi, heading down another isle. The little girl had her back to him, bouncing on the balls of her feet, jabbering away to the man that must be Kiyoji, holding tightly to the arm of her rabbit plush doll. 

Ichigo abruptly turned on his heel, deciding he wasn’t hungry anymore, and nearly crashed into the girl’s older brother. 

“Hey, be careful of my nii-sama!” she huffed, coming up behind Ichigo and jabbing him in the back before he or her brother had had time to apologise. Ichigo looked down at her and yup she had the same features as Rukia to go with Kiyoji who was nearly the spitting image of Renji, minus the tattoos and only being in his late teens.

“Yuki, Akika can take care of himself.” Kiyoji came over and ruffled her hair, chuckling at the cute pout. 

Akika smiled apologetically at Ichigo, that look on a face that Ichigo had never seen smile was just something else to add to the long list of things keeping him stunned and glued to the spot. “Sorry about that.”

Ichigo finally dragged himself out of what must have looked like a ‘deer in the headlights’ expression. “No, it’s – my fault. Wasn’t looking.” 

Akika chuckled and stepped to one side, maybe the expression had amused him but Ichigo still found it weird to see Byakuya – well someone that looked exactly like him – laughing and smiling. 

Ichigo dumped the sushi back in the fridge, still able to hear them talking. 

“But Kiyoji-nii! I have to protect my nii-sama.” Ichigo could just hear him about to open his mouth and put his foot in it in reply but Akika got there first.

“Yuki, do you know why I was born first?” 

“Why?” she asked, letting out a huff.

“So I can protect the little brothers and sisters born after me.” 

Ichigo only heard Yuki giggle and tell her nii-sama how embarrassing he was before he left the shop. 

 

When he got back and Inoue asked why his face was so wet, he told her it had rained. Ishida just remained silent, letting the lie go just this once.


End file.
